What EU need to do before a trip to Europe

TRAVELLING IS CURRENTLY ILLEGAL – BUT YOU CAN STILL START PREPARING FOR FUTURE TRIPS

Sharon Hughes, 51, and her husband Pete, 50, from Flintshire, own Bungalow No 31 in Lanzarote – and they’re planning on visiting later this year with their children Kristian, 19, and 28-year-old Danielle.

”We’ve been visiting Lanzarote for 20 years

– not just because of the fabulous weather, but because of the fantastically warm welcome we have received each time we arrived. In 2018, we finally took the plunge and bought our bungalow and we’re really missing the island.

We want to be well prepared for when we can travel. We’ve already renewed our passports because we didn’t want to leave it late, as there’ll probably be a huge rush in renewals. We would never travel without insurance and we always buy a family annual insurance which covers us at home or abroad so that we are safe for all journeys. Now we have everything in place and are hoping to get out there soon.”

Travelling abroad is still restricted due to Covid – but if you’re thinking about planning a trip to Europe at some point in the future, you need to make sure you’re ready.

The Brexit Transition period ended on 31 December last year, and that has brought about changes which mean you might have to take extra steps when you plan your trip – such as renewing your passport and getting a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

So if you intend to travel, you need to be prepared for the changes to minimise disruption. Renewing your passport can take several weeks – so check it now because you’ll need to have at least six months left on it, and it must be